Chapter V: Cart Harness

The make and pattern of cart gear are very varied in all parts of the kingdom, and there is often a local name for each particular style; but the only gear which can claim special favour is one that combines proper strength with minimum weight.

A typical shaft gear is shown by Fig. 71, in which A is the bit ring, B the noseband, C winkers, D cheeks, E ear-pieces, F throat-lash, G head-strap, H forehead band, I reins, K collar forewale, K’ hame straps, L hame or jambles, M collar body and side-piece, N collar draught, O forecart saddle housing, P back housing, R cart saddle skirt, S girth and girth straps, T crupper, U and V hip and loin straps, W and X fore and aft breeching tugs, and Y breeching.

Fig. 72. Fig. 73.

Figs. 72 and 73.—Scotch Brass Gear Buckles.]

Fig. 74. Fig. 75.

Figs. 74 and 75.—Scotch Brass Gear Buckles.]

The ornaments used are brass buckles (Figs. 72 to 75) instead of tinned or japanned buckles, with brass face-pieces (Figs. 76 to 78) on the bridle to hang on the horse’s forehead, brass bells for the bridle (Fig. 79), hame plates (Figs. 80 and 81) at the top of the collar between the two points of the hames or jambles, with a strap across from one hame point to the other to hold it in position, brass squares, ovals (Fig. 82), octagons (Figs. 83 to 85), hearts (Fig. 86) on bridle winker or saddle housing corners, and brass beading instead of nails over the top of the housing where attached to the tree. When making gears this must be remembered. Other details of cart ornaments are shown in Figs. 87 to 92.

Cart and leading gear made according to the following directions will be useful anywhere, and when this method has been learned any other style can be made.

The winkers C (Fig. 71) must be prepared first; blocked winkers with fancy pattern raised against the eye are little used nowadays. Main winkers are just as safe for the eyes if well made. Special winker leather must be obtained either from a middling in stock, or, cut to pattern, from any currier or leather-seller.

Fig. 76. Fig. 77.

Figs. 76 and 77.—Brass Face-pieces.]

Cut the pieces straight 7 in. by 7½ in., and mark three rows all round the long side and across one of the shorter sides with the race compass or racer, making the groove deep; edge them above and below with the edge tool and black the edges. After soaking them well in water, bend them along the centre of the longer width into something that is nearly, though not quite, a semicircle. Nail them down in any convenient way, with the raised part above, on a flat board and let them dry in this shape; drive in the nails near the edges only at the side that will be covered and stitched over with the cheek. They can be put to dry near a stove or fire.

Fig. 78. Fig. 79. Fig. 80. Fig. 81.

Fig. 78.—Brass Face-piece. Fig. 79.—Bells and Brush. Figs. 80 and 81.—Brass Hame Plates.]

Then run a big hot beveller round the edges and along the lines made until the groove looks deep and polished. Having two ¾-in. roller tinned buckles, or brass Scotch buckles, cut two chapes to the same width. Chapes are pieces to hold on the buckles; the name is also applied to the part going round buckles on any length of strap. The chapes are made 3½ in. long and turned down 2 in. from one end; make the short end very thin and the other end slightly so, then point the piece. Cut a buckle hole at the bend, edge, crease, and prick for stitching; then put the chapes in the buckles and make the tops of these last flush with edge and front of winkers, working as follows:—

Fig. 82. Fig. 83. Fig. 84. Fig. 85.

Fig. 82.—Brass Oval. Figs. 83 to 85.—Brass Octagons.]

Fig. 86. Fig. 87. Fig. 88.

Fig. 86.—Brass Heart. Figs. 87 and 88.—Brass Stars.]

Tack the chape down in its place in the front corner where the creasing on the edges meets, and stitch. With tinned buckles put on a loop; Scotch buckles, as Figs. 72 to 75, do not need any; place the other chape and buckle on the corner of the other winker and stitch likewise, taking care to put it on the reverse corner to the other to make the winkers pair.

Fig. 89. Fig. 90. Fig. 91.

Figs. 89 and 90.—Brass Hame Knobs. Fig. 91.—Brass Swing.]

Fig. 92. Fig. 93. Fig. 94.

Fig. 92.—Brass Swing. Fig. 93.—Ear-piece. Fig. 94.—Corner-piece.]

Now cut the cheeks D, or the pieces that run down the side of the head, making them 2 ft. 2 in. by 1¼ in.; turn them down so as to make both ends meet underneath in the centre, and give the bends in each end a slight tap with the hammer. It is better to draw in the underpart a little so as to have the top somewhat longer, because as there is a bend in the winker outwards the lower side should be a little shorter. Cut a hole for the buckle in one end and another in the centre of the bend, which is also the centre of the strap, at the other end; from this hole cut straight out to each side and shave the edges of the cut. Edge the cheek on the outside only and race it along the top part with the race compass; the second race must be made close to the other, care being taken not to run them into one another. Make another line a little more than ⅛ in. from the last, blacken the edges and lines with black dye, and rub them with a rag; then prick the two inner rows with the pricker, eight per inch, put the buckle in its place and the bit ring A in the other end, and stitch both ends of the cheek together. There are two bit rings on each side, fastened together by a small link; one ring, that placed in the cheek, is larger than the other. The smaller ring must be kept for the bit after the completion of the bridle. Both cheeks are made in the same way, but the slit from the centre hole in the bend must be reversed, otherwise the cheeks will not pair.

The winkers C and cheeks D (Fig. 71) being ready, cut the nose-band B about 2 ft. long and 2 in. wide; turn in both ends equally, leaving about 1 ft. 4 in. for the noseband; shave the ends rather thin, and make a punch-hole in the centre of the bend, then slit it out straight from both holes on the same side, and shave the sides of the slit.

Edge both sides of the nose-band where it is not double, and make two rows along it with the race compass, deepening and polishing them with the hot beveller, after which prick the double row on both sides from the bend to the lined part.

The nose-band is now ready for adjustment at the proper time. The forehead band H (Fig. 71), or front, must be cut about 2 ft. 3 in. long and 1½ in. wide. Edge, crease, black, and rub it and pass a hot beveller over the grooves. Cut the ear-pieces E (see also Fig. 93) 1½ in. wide and 9 in. long, and double and flatten the bend, shaving one end well. Take a piece of any strap 1¼ in. wide, and put it in the bend, close up; mark how far the inner side runs in the ear-piece, the 1¼ in. strap being allowed to run smooth in the opening between the line and the bend. Mark two rows of pricking, eight per inch, on each side from the cross-mark to the point or end, having previously made a double row of creasing all along. Stitch from the cross line to the point with three-cord thread; stitch the cross line coarse, about two stitches for one of the other stitches. Rub the edges, making them even by cutting if necessary, then black and rub. Place the forehead band H in position, and stitch it end to end with the ear-pieces, and cut a small =V=-nick in the joint of each end on the same side.

The object of the nick is to provide space for the small projection in the tongue of the buckle when put into position. Some harness-makers cut the end of the ear-pieces, before joining them to the forehead, in a slightly slanting way in such a manner that the end with the opening will turn up a little when in place, but this is not essential. Moreover, if the forehead band is to be covered with any kind of fancy cloth or leather, this covering had better be done before the ear-pieces are stitched, because the work will be much easier than when the bridle is completed. Cut the material, red American cloth, leather, etc., double the width of the forehead, and allow ½ in. more to go round the edges; finally, herring-bone-stitch underneath along the centre, and stitch on the ear-pieces.

Corner-pieces (Fig. 94) are now required to support the nose-band and to join it and the cheek well together when complete. They are in one single piece near the bit ring corner, descending from cheek to nose-band. To make the chin strap, cut it 1½ in. wide, one piece being made 6 in. long, leaving 2 in. of the original width, and then narrowing the rest to ¾ in. with a rounded point. The other part is made 12 in. long, and 2 in. of the original width is preserved, the rest being narrowed to ¾ in.; then turn down a chape and make a hole for the buckle in the narrow end, after which edge, crease, and black both, then adjust buckle and loop.

To put the bridle together ready for stitching, work as follows: With a ring at one end and a buckle at the other, place the forehead band between the cheeks in such a way that the centre where the forehead band and ear-pieces join may be right under the centre of the buckle with the nick against the tongue. Drive a tack on the inner side, and put the nose-band in the same ring as the cheek at the other end, with the slits made in the bends upwards; fix the corner-pieces one part in the cheek and the other in the nose-band, sufficiently low to catch when stitching the nose-band. The corner-pieces must, of course, be placed between the two leathers, both in the cheeks and nose-band: the inner side of the corner-piece must follow the ring in the cheek like a half-circle.

The outer part is supposed to have been previously edged and creased. The point of the slits in the nose-band comes underneath the slits in the cheeks on both sides in such a way that the edges in the cheeks may cover and neatly overlap the edges of the slit in the nose-band and catch them during work of stitching the cheek. Both winkers are now adjusted with buckles in the front corners, turned upwards to meet each other; place the winkers close to the ear-pieces and forehead, making the outside flush with the outer edge of the cheek. Tack down the winkers, keeping the bend in shape as set after drying; thus there is an opening between the two sides of the cheek from the end of the corner-piece to the bottom of the winker.

Cut a piece of leather as near as possible of the same thickness as the winkers and of the same width as the cheeks. Place it between the two sides of the cheek to fill the hollow, and so have a firm cheek all along; tack the piece down and see that it fits tight; there must be no looseness where it joins the winker and corner-piece.

The chin strap is now adjusted, the wide end of the short piece being placed inside the cheek under the centre filling for a distance of about ¾ in. and about 1½ in. from the bottom ring. This is the right-hand side, taking a front view of the bridle. The other piece, with buckle, goes on the other side, and both are tacked down. When two small loops are to be placed on each side near the buckle at the top of the cheek they should be tacked down so that they may be stitched in with the cheek; but for a long loop, adjust beforehand on the cheek, by stitching the ends loosely together. Nail the first side of the long loop and clinch the nails underneath over a loop-stick, leaving this inside while nailing the other side in the same manner, partly running over the ear-piece E (Fig. 71) and forehead band H and partly over the winker.

Stitching may be begun on the near side at the ring, and continued up to the loop on the outside; then begin at the loop on the outside of the other cheek and stitch down to the ring. The outer row on the inner side of the first cheek and of the second check is now stitched. When stitching opposite the winkers on the inner line two stitches may be made instead of one by slipping a stitch between each; fine stitching is apt to cut the winkers, and they often fall off before being worn out; consequently slipping a stitch is a good method. A row must now be stitched on each side of the nose-piece in each end, then the inner rows of the cheek, and finally the inner rows of the nose-band. Level the edges of the cheeks and nose-band, scrape them, and black the edges; then rub them with tallow and bone.

Having creased and finished the loops, make two basil pads as long as the distance from the buckle to the bottom of the winkers. For a cheek of 1¼ in., cut the pads 1 in. wider than twice the width; fold them lengthwise so that the edges will meet in the centre, and stitch the ends together with the basil inside out. Now, after turning them inside out, stitch the edges together like the ends with pointed needle, thimble, and white linen thread. Run the stitches from both ends and leave an opening about 1 in. long in the middle, through which ram in the flock stuffing, but not too hard. Having stitched the opening, place this side against the cheek of the bridle under the winker, and as far as the buckle; choose three nails having large heads, run small tufts of flock to the heads of the nails, and fasten the pads down firmly to the cheek by driving a nail in each end and one in the centre, taking care that the points do not appear on the other side; trim the flock on the nails with the scissors.

The winker straps are made as follows: Cut a strap 24 in. long and 1½ in. wide, then slit it exactly in the centre for 13 in., making a punch hole at the end of the slit; shape the points of each slit to go through the buckles on each winker, and make a cross line 1½ in. from the end of the slit, marking it deeply. At a distance of 1½ in. from this line make a second line, and a third 1⅝ in., making them all deep; turn down the strap so that the centre of the bend will be exactly at the last mark. Knock the bend flat if the point runs beyond the end of the slit after turning down; cut some off and shave it down; edge it on both sides except where the parts overlap. Crease all along the edges, and make one or two rows with the screw-race; then black, rub, and finish the creases. Leave an opening from the bend to the next cross line, then put a piece of leather to fill the space between the cross line and the next to it and wide enough to be stitched through in working across; then leave the space between the next two lines open, and stitch down the point of the bend from the end to the cross line. Stitch along the pricked part and along the cross lines, the stitches on the latter being twice as coarse as the straight lines.

There should now be two openings, one at the end and the other beyond the next stitched part; that at the end is for the throat lash F (Fig. 71), and the other for the head strap G. Having rubbed the edges and finished, cut the head strap 1 ft. 10 in. long and 1¼ in. wide; narrow the ends for the passage of the buckle, crease, black, and finish. Now cut the throat lash 3 ft. 8 in. long and 1¼ in. wide; turn in 2 in. for the buckle at the best end and narrow the point to enter the buckle at the other end; crease, black, finish, stitch on the buckle and loop, and then finish the loop.

A rein is now cut 5 ft. long and 1¼ in. wide for the off side, and another 2 ft. 4 in. long for the near side. Turn down the chape for the buckle in the weakest end of the short rein, and 3 in. at the best end of each to fasten to the ring at the bit; then edge crease, finish, and stitch in the buckle and loop, also making a running loop on the short rein. Now mark four rows of stitching on the double part about to be stitched to the rings; stitch the shortest part of the rein with the buckle to the ring hanging by a link from the cheek ring on the right hand when looking at the front of the bridle, then stitch the long rein to the ring on the other side. Make three punch holes on each side of the head strap, equidistant from the point and from each other, and then six holes in the throat lash, three in the slits of each winker strap, and nine in the long rein.

The bridle being ready for adjusting, place the head strap up to its centre in the opening next to the slit in the winker strap; then fasten each end of the head strap to the cheek buckles through the second holes. Now place the throat lash in the opening in the ear-piece on the off side, running it through the outer opening in the winker strap, down the opening in the other ear-piece, and then through the buckle at the other end.

Buckle the winker strap slits to the winker buckles, pass them through the loop, and buckle the rein in the sixth hole; this completes the bridle. If it is to be polished, coated with jet, or ornamented, this must be done before putting the parts together.

Cut out all parts according to the dimensions given before beginning to stitch; this is more workmanlike than cutting the parts as the work proceeds.